Clemson DT Bresee ruled out against NC State

Clemson star defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will not play against No. 10 NC State on Saturday night.

Bresee is missing the game because of a non-football medical issue that required bloodwork and observation this week. He received good news medically late in the week, and he’s not expected to miss extended time.

Bresee is one of the country’s top defensive linemen and a top-15 overall prospect for the upcoming NFL draft. He’s 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, and is a key interior linchpin on Clemson’s defensive front.

Bresee’s absence could be amplified by the expected absence of star defensive end Xavier Thomas, who sources told ESPN is unlikely to play, stemming from a foot injury he suffered during camp that has kept him off the field so far this season. He posted on social media this week that he’d hoped to be back for the Louisiana Techs game on Sept. 17, but said in his social media post that he’s still “in too much pain to go play full speed.”

The Bresee loss comes in the wake of his missing the Louisiana Tech game to be with his family after the death of his sister. He returned to play against Wake Forest last week, contributing two tackles in the double-overtime win.

Clemson’s vaunted defensive front has been beset by injuries. Since the start of the 2020 season, the marauding foursome of Bresee, Thomas, Tyler Davis and Myles Murphy has been on the field together for less than 30 of the more than 1,900 snaps.

Bresee was limited to just four games last season after tearing his ACL in Clemson’s loss to NC State. He’s in his third season and projects as a top NFL draft prospect. ESPN’s Todd McShay has Bresee as the No. 13 overall player in the 2023 NFL draft.